Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 183 The Two Dragons Escape

The aftershocks of their palm strike swept over, and Du Fuwei was the first to be hit, flying backward against his will.

He swung his palms three times to dissipate most of the force, but he still couldn't stop the downward momentum and was about to fall into the lake.

It was only through the desperate efforts of his personal guards that he managed to drag Du Fuwei back onto the deck, albeit in a disheveled state, by grabbing his sleeve.

Du Fuwei stood still, his chest heaving with blood and qi, his face turning pale.

He knew in his heart that the aftershock from that moment had left him in such a sorry state, and that he would be no match for Zhao Yu in a one-on-one fight.

It's only been a month since we last met, and the other party's martial arts skills have already reached such a high level.

Zhao Yu stood there with a smile: "How is my move, 'The Dragon Regrets,'? Does it meet your expectations?"

"The dragon that soars too high will regret it—"

Shi Zhixuan raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice low and deep: "The Book of Changes says, 'The top line, the dragon that has gone too far will have regrets; fullness cannot last long.' The moves are powerful and fierce, yet they conceal a way out, in accordance with the principles of Yin and Yang. Truly extraordinary."

Throughout his life, he had a wide range of interests, including Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and even demonic arts. He was also very knowledgeable about the Book of Changes, and he immediately saw through the intricacies of Zhao Yu's palm strike.

"You're the first person in the last ten years to make me bleed." Shi Zhixuan's eyes grew increasingly cold.

A few days ago, Zhao Yu triggered his mental breakdown, leaving him with internal injuries that had not yet healed. Today, he took this blow head-on, making his injuries even more severe.

Zhao Yu stood on the mast, looking down at him: "This slap is my way of returning the trouble you've caused these past few days. I'll say it again, we have no deep-seated hatred for each other. From now on, we're even, and we'll leave each other alone. How about that? After all, you were the one who came to us first."

Shi Zhixuan smiled mysteriously upon hearing this: "Alright. But, do you dare believe what I say?"

Zhao Yu lowered his eyelids slightly, understanding the situation.

Now, this is a dead end.

Even if Shi Zhixuan agrees readily now, he can still assassinate someone in secret. Who would believe his words?

The assassination techniques of the Butian Pavilion are unpredictable and elusive; Zhao Yu can't possibly be on edge all the time.

As long as Shi Zhixuan is alive, this threat will always exist.

The only way to completely resolve this trouble is to render Shi Zhixuan powerless to act, or even—to die at one's own hands.

Shi Zhixuan's movement skills are unparalleled; he can leave whenever he wants and is difficult to keep if he wants to.

At least for now, Zhao Yu cannot keep this evil king.

Seeing Zhao Yu remain silent, Shi Zhixuan chuckled lightly, with a hint of mockery: "You've gained the upper hand today, but we'll meet again someday."

Before he finished speaking, his figure swayed and floated back several feet. He touched the surface of the lake with his toes and disappeared into the horizon in a few leaps.

They come without a trace and go without a trace.

Zhao Yu watched the direction he left in, but did not chase after him.

He knew he couldn't catch up.

However, this battle was not entirely fruitless.

If he could directly confront and injure Shi Zhixuan, it would at least keep him quiet for a while. If the other party wanted to assassinate him as recklessly as before, they would have to consider the consequences.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to Du Fuwei's flagship; for now, it was best to end this battle first.

Looking up, one could see that Du Fuwei's flagship had already turned around, raised its sails, and was retreating at full speed.

The commander-in-chief was injured by the aftershocks, and the already wavering morale of the Jianghuai Army plummeted. The warships of each unit turned around one after another, their formations scattered, and they were completely routed.

"Chase!"

Zhou Faming reacted swiftly, immediately waving his flag to order the Zhao army's navy to give chase and launch a surprise attack.

Zhao Yu, however, did not move.

He frowned slightly, his gaze falling beneath the surface of the lake.

The atmosphere inside the cabin of Duvovich's flagship was oppressive.

Du Fuwei sat cross-legged and circulated his internal energy for a long time before slowly opening his eyes and exhaling a long breath.

"The aftershocks alone made my blood boil—" he muttered to himself, his face grim. "What kind of magic pills did this Zhao guy take to improve his martial arts so ridiculously?"

The guard stepped forward and reported: "General, the main force has withdrawn. However, the vanguard has suffered nearly 30% casualties, with many brothers killed or wounded."

"Hmm." Du Fuwei waved his hand, looking exhausted. "It's inevitable. First, stabilize the situation, rally the troops, and retreat to Liyang."

He paused, then remembered something: "Go, bring those two little brats to me."

The guard looked troubled and stammered, "General—those two lads have run away."

"What?" Du Fuwei suddenly stood up, a dull pain shooting through his chest again.

He walked to the edge of the cabin, gazed at the vast lake, and gritted his teeth: "Those two little brats, they're fast runners!"

But things had already come to this point; the army had just suffered a defeat, and he couldn't spare any men to pursue them.

He could only angrily flick his sleeve and swallow his anger.

This battle was a complete disaster; not only did they fail to gain any advantage over Zhao Yu, they also lost what they had almost gotten their hands on.

Meanwhile, in the reed beds on the east side of the lake.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling climbed ashore, soaking wet and panting heavily.

Once he was sure there were no pursuers behind him, Kou Zhong leaned on his knees and burst into laughter.

"Young Master Ling, what do you think! I told you this is a great opportunity! Dad's too busy taking care of himself to worry about us."

Xu Ziling smiled and wiped the water from his face: "Speaking of which, we have to thank that Steward Zhao. If he hadn't fought with my father, we really wouldn't have had a chance to escape. That man's martial arts are terrifying. My father was forced back before he could even face him head-on."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Kou Zhong clenched his fist, full of confidence. "He looks only a few years older than us. What he can do, we can definitely do in the future, maybe even better than him! Don't you think so, Young Master Ling!"

Just as Xu Ziling was about to nod in agreement, a soft laugh suddenly came from above.

"Really? You two are so confident, could it be that the Longevity Formula gives you your confidence?"

The two were startled and looked up abruptly.

A figure gracefully descended from the treetop; it was Zhao Yu.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his robes were neat and clean, without a single water stain, and he was looking at the two of them with a smile.

Zhao Yu clicked his tongue in amazement: "I've followed you two all the way, just to see how far you two can swim while holding your breath."

"Incredible, truly incredible. Two scoundrels who have only practiced martial arts for a year or two can swim this far and still have the energy to talk and laugh after getting ashore. It seems that the 'Longevity Manual' is indeed worthy of its reputation."

Kou Zhong's face instantly fell. He and Xu Ziling exchanged a glance, both seeing something ominous in each other's eyes.

This person is chasing after us, most likely for the secret of immortality and Yang Gong's treasure trove.

"superior!"

Kou Zhong gave a low shout, and the two of them attacked Zhao Yu simultaneously, one from the left and one from the right, with perfect coordination.

Their plan was simple: strike first, then run.

But before their fists could even touch Zhao Yu's clothes, they felt a gentle surge of true energy rushing towards them.

The two were struck as if by a heavy blow, and were thrown backward involuntarily, crashing heavily onto the grass, their blood churning.

Zhao Yu slowly turned around, a hint of surprise on his face.

He had casually unleashed his Northern Darkness True Qi, intending to invade the meridians of the two men, but as soon as the Qi entered their bodies, it vanished without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea. He couldn't sense it at all.

Zhao Yu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "The Longevity Manual—truly profound!"